The Real Inspector Hound and After Magritte (Play)

By Tom Stoppard

In these two plays, Tom Stoppard, the author of the memorable success Rosencratz and Guildenstern Are Dead, scored another hit on both the London and the New York stage, where he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest living dramatists in the English language. The first of the plays, The Real Inspector Hound, is the longer of the two; here the author has created a looking glass comedy of great suspense and intrigue about two drama critics. The second play, After Magritte, is 'a surrealist comedy in detective form-or is it a comedy in surrealist form? A husband and wife argue whether the figure they saw in the street was a one-legged football player with the ball under his arm, or a man in pajamas with a tortoise under his arm. The play shows that Stoppard is as amusing and clever as always.'

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802152058
• ISBN13: 9780802152053
• Release Date: January 1969
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
• Length: 105 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 5.5" x 0.5"

Customer Reviews

This concerns only "After Magritte"

Tom Stoppard here tries to create a totally magrittian world. As for the visual part, it is easy since Magritte was a painter. Chaotic, illogical, absurd visual elements and characters. Some elements are moved to create new absurd tableaux, even when they are apparently the results of logical movements.It is trickier to do the same with the dialogue of the play. He uses confusing words. He uses absurd language about an absent character that is described and interpreted in all kinds of ways by the various characters at various moments.But what about the plot ? Stoppard throws two cops into the tableau and they are so logical that they are entangled into absurd logical lines and come to absurd conclusions. The world becomes both kafkaian and orwellian, though it remains a comedy, or even a farce. Brilliantly done. Some details in the text are only visual, and would be hard to vocalize, for example the pun, on « lute- loot ».Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

An amazing piece.

Real Inspector Hound- What a wonderfull piece of work by stoppard. Weird, yet very interesting and funny. Full of humour and twists and turns. A very original idea and created many laughs. I fully recommend picking up this play and giving it a shot. Stoppard, you've done it again.After Magritte- Hilarious. Interesting. Wow. This play tends to verge on odd but it is very good. I enjoyed reading this. There is never a dull moment, and is always full of laughs (if you can understand what is going on). I also recommend this play. Stoppard, I love you!